Let Freedom Ring
by jesslover
Summary: A One Parter. Seth and Summer's conversation on July 4th. Seth and Summer centric, but is not necessarily a happy ending SethSummer fic. Rated PG for a few curse words here and there. RR


-Just decided to write a quick fic, stemming from a line from last night's episode. This is my

take on what happened during that Fourth of July phone call between Seth and Summer that

Luke references in one scene. Hope you like it and I hope that no one else has written on like

this yet. All I own is...well actually nothing. It all belongs to Josh Schwartz.

Summer scanned her eyes around the crowded room and exhaled. It was the Fourth of

July. This time last year, she would have been plastered making out with a random member of

the water polo team. Come to think of it, last year Marissa would have been on the beach

making out with Luke, instead of sitting sullenly on the patio railing drinking her third cup of

"water." Marissa swayed dangerously and Summer quickly moved over to her.

"Hey Coop, wanna get out of here? I'm getting really tired. An "Indiana Jones"

marathon is on U.S.A. and I bet if we leave now we can get home in time to see the scene in

"Temple of Doom" when the guy's heart gets pulled out."

Marissa continued to stare blankly out at the ocean. Summer sighed and sat next her on

the railing.

"Come on Coop," she said gently, "We really need to get home."

"Why did he leave?" she asked suddenly in an abrasive voice.

"I don't know 'Riss. He's just a good guy and was trying to do what was right for one of

his friends. Come on," Summer said placing her arm around Marissa, "you can spend the night

at my house."

The two made their way out of the house and to Summer's new green BMW bug

convertible. It was an early birthday present from her father, who would actually be in Munich

on her birthday. Summer opened the door for Marissa and watched as she collapsed into the seat

and apparently passed out. Summer silently cursed Ryan in her head. Of course, it was not

actually his fault. She just really liked to blame him...for Coop's sudden dive into the deep

water of alcoholism and the bitch's, Seth's, that is, decision to sail away in his faggoty little boat.

She started around the front of the car when her phone started ringing to the tune of

"Milkshake." She checked the caller-ID and did not recognize the number, or even the area

code for that matter.

"Hello?" she said answering the phone.

"Summer....hey"

Seth stared into the fire, nursing his beer. Luke was off somewhere, making out with

Ally, his girl of the moment. Ally and Jane were two girls that he had met at the beach and they

got Luke and him jobs at the water sports rental shop. Luke was entirely convinced that Seth

should make a move on Jane. She was a bubbly blonde with clear blue eyes and a great figure.

Perfect girl for any guy with heterosexual, or at least bisexual, tendencies. Seth liked her, he

guessed, but she just wasn't...something. Something that he couldn't put his finger on.

"Hey Seth," Jane said, sitting down beside him in the sand.

"Hiya Jane."

"How you doing? This party seems kind of lame."

"Yeah, but all I am pretty used to it by now. Parties back home were always a

little.....well a lot like this. Pretty people getting sloshed. But I always went to them, even

though I wasn't wanted."

"Why? I guess you were just asking for your ass to get majorly kicked!"

"That happened quite a bit, come to think of it. Well, I guess it was just....Summer."

"Yeah, summertime can do that to you. I always do crazy stuff when it's hot out!"

"Yeah," Seth said, forcing out a laugh, "I think I'm going to head out now. I think

U.S.A. is having an "Indiana Jones" marathon and if I leave now I might be able to get home in

time for the heart-pulling out part of "Temple of Doom."

"Never see that one...but have fun anyways. See you tomorrow at work?"

"Sure Jane, see you tomorrow," Seth said, wiping the sand off the back of his pants and

starting the climb up the dunes to the boardwalk. Then, suddenly he realized why Jane wasn't

perfect for him. She wasn't Summer. He pulled out his phone and searched for the familiar

number in his phone book. He leaned patiently against a phone pole until he heard a questioning

"Hello?"

"Summer...hey," he said questioningly.

'Yes," she clipped angrily, wondering who in the hell would call her and say two words,

"What is it you need? I'm trying to get a drunken friend home before she passes out in my car.

So speak if you must."

"It's me.

"The bitch?" she asked quietly.

"Excuse me?" he asked, confused.

"Cohen. Nice to hear from you. It's been what? Two months since I've last heard from

you?"

"Two months and four days actually."

"How sweet, you kept count. How many hours, minutes, seconds?" Summer said,

unleashing her anger for the first time.

"Why are you so angry, Summer? I just called to talk, I miss you."

"Yeah, you missed me so much that you didn't call me for two months and four days?"

"Listen Summer, it was...is complicated. I miss my Wonder Woman!"

"Yeah right Cohen, I bet you found another Anna Stern wherever the hell you are now

and are talking to me just to get laughs about the stupid brunette who is so stupid that she won't

get over a stupid jerky...jerk," Summer said, finally collapsing into tears on the roof of her car.

"Portland."

"What?"

"I'm in Portland. With Luke and his Dad. Who's dating a man named Eric...spelled

Ahrick, which I'm not really sure translates into Eric but I dunno..."

Summer wiped her tears away, trying to suppress a giggle. She couldn't laugh...he

wasn't funny.

"How did you get to Portland?"

"You see Summer, there is an interesting story involving a Nazi submarine and sirens

singing to me..."

"Cohen," she said in a warning tone.

"I got freaked out and sold my boat and got a bus ticket to Portland. That's the real story.

Except you won't believe the appalling conditions on the bus...I mean, there was gum. Under

the seats!"

"You sold the "Summer Breeze?" she asked, feeling hurt.

"Yes, but I forgot to tell you that I'm soon going to buy a yacht and name it Summer

Breeze II and put a cool mermaid on the front that looks exactly like you."

She started to laugh when she felt a tap on her shoulder, "Hold on a second, Cohen."

"Yes," she snapped to the offensive tapper.

"Hey Summer."

"Uh Zack, hey. Can you hold on a second?"

"Yeah Summer, I'll just go and sit over here."

"OK Cohen, I'm back. Please make it quick. What exactly is it that you need?"

"I want you to wait for me."

"WHAT?"

"Please don't date anyone else. I—I love you and I just need time to figure things out for

myself until I get home. Please wait for me, don't do what I think you'll want to do just to hurt

me."

"You want ME to wait for YOU! Real selfish of you Cohen. That's what you are. You

have no idea what pain you have caused your parents. I went there, two days after you left since

I had heard nothing from you for TWENTY-FOUR HOURS and met your mom, who looked

like she hadn't slept in days with red rimmed eyes. Your dad looked the least happy I have ever

seen him. And he is like, one of the happiest people I know. And I knew something was wrong.

You have no idea what flashed through my mind...was something wrong. You won't believe

all that flashed through my mind...was Ryan hurt? Were you hurt? Or worse did one or both of

you die? Kirsten hands me a note and I find out that no, you are just a selfish bitch that decided

that it would be better to run like a scared little girl instead of trying to stick it out."

"Summer, it is complicated..."

"You act like there was nothing keeping you in Newport besides Ryan. You had a

life...your parents love you and I...well I was your friend and there for you. But now I am over

you. Please don't call me anymore, Seth, have a nice summer and move on. Because I sure as

hell am."

And with that she snapped the phone shut. Oddly, instead of feeling fulfilled and filled

with a sense of closure, she just felt crappier than before. She checked on Coop to make sure she

was still breathing and then walked over to where Zack was standing next to his Land Rover.

"Hey Zack," she said, "Did you have something to talk to me about?"

"Yeah, I know that you were dating Sam Cohen..."

"His name was Se...no Sam that's right. But we are kinda through now."

"Yeah, I heard that he sailed away on his boat. How he could leave here I just don't

know. But I was just wondering if you might like to go out to eat sometime next week. Like on

a date."

Summer smiled mischievously. He was the best rebound guy ever. The exact opposite

of Seth Cohen. He was tall and extremely muscled with piercing blue eyes and blonde hair that

looked suspiciously like it was highlighted to Summer. But he was hot and nothing like Seth

Cohen at all. That made him perfect. She would never have to get close to him. There was no

danger in him. There is no danger of getting hurt if you aren't close, a mantra which she had

maintained her whole life. At least until she met Seth Cohen.

"Sure Zack, I would love to. Here's my number," she said, grabbing his cell phone and

typing her number in. She walked away with a slight smile on her face. As she got into her car,

she saw fireworks going off. This was a whole new beginning for her. In some weird way, she

understood how the colonists felt. They were free to do it without restraints, without a safety

net to catch them if they fell, they held the reigns to their life. But Summer couldn't help

wonder whether she would regret this new-found independence. The colonists must have at

some point in time when they were starving, but Summer wasn't quite sure if they ever did,

because she never really paid attention in American History. But life would end up OK. A life

without the restraints of Seth Cohen. A life without fear of commitment and hurt. She learned

her lesson from Seth Cohen.

"Let freedom ring," she thought as she backed her car out of the parking spot.

THE END

-Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it. Please review.


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